In the Arms of Solace
by iceangelmkx
Summary: In the weeks since they met, Reyes Vidal had seen many emotions on Kira Ryder's face, emotions like content, pure joy, anger, annoyance, and concern, amongst others. In the aftermath of the events in the Tafeno system, when she walked into his room at Tartarus, Reyes saw a new emotion he never saw on her until now - defeat.
1. Chapter 1

Reyes Vidal found himself jolted awake with his eyes quickly snapping open and his lungs gasping for breath. He unknowingly clutched the blanket enveloping him against his bare chest with one hand as a sheen of sweat covered his skin.

 _What the hell?!_ he suddenly thought as he attempted to catch his breath. Shaking off the haze of sleep, he managed to remember where he was; lying in the middle of his own bed inside his small studio apartment at Kadara Port. His amber eyes shifted to get a better look at his home and let out a long exhale once he saw that he was alone.

Reyes tried to recall what shook him awake. A nightmare maybe? Perhaps that falling feeling that was felt in the realm between asleep and awake? Either of those were a possbility, but for some reason he couldn't remember if either one occurred within the last minute or so.

Strange...

Rubbing his tired eyes with his hands, Reyes sat up from bed, his blanket pooling around his waist. He then turned on his omni-tool to check the time and saw that it was still in the middle of Kadara's night cycle. Also, he had only been in and out of sleep for two hours since he decided to try to get some rest.

With his omni-tool's interface opened, he saw that he received a few new messages since he laid down. He took a moment to check the senders. Most were from his Collective agents who were giving him their usual daily reports. A few were from clients that were part of his front as a smuggler. None were from _her._

Reyes frowned a little as he brought up the last message Pathfinder Kira Ryder sent him. He received it three days ago and he wasn't able to read it until hours later as he was stuck at a meeting with a stubborn krogan client through most of the afternoon at Kralla's Song...

 _To: Reyes Vidal_

 _From: Kira Ryder_

 _Hey,_

 _I wanted to give you a heads-up that we're going to be heading into the Tafeno System soon to check on the information Vehn Terev gave us. I was hoping to stop by before we headed there, but with everything else going on, it's starting to look like a 'now or never' situation. When we're done, just give me an excuse to come back to Kadara. I could use the break._

Reyes combed his fingers through his black hair as what felt like a million thoughts ran through his head. He knew from previous conversations with Kira that Vehn's information involved the location of the Archon's ship. Inside the ship was supposed to be a map to a potential new home – Meridian, it was called. This was all according to the datapad Vehn had hidden in Kadara's badlands. Kira's engineer spent the last few weeks trying to extract information from the datapad due to the condition it was found in. Clearly the job was done just prior to her last message.

Had it only been weeks since Reyes helped Kira get access to Vehn's prison cell at the (now former) Outcast Headquarters? After all, the whole business with the angaran was how they met in the first place. Initially, he had started off seeing her as someone who could help him undermine Sloane Kelly and the Outcast.

It still blew his mind that he went from seeing her as someone who could help him with his plans to falling in love with her... all before she knew he was the Charlatan.

Kira left Kadara three weeks ago after spending two weeks overseeing the set-up of the new Andromeda Initiative Outpost, Ditaeon. Reyes made the most of his time with her in between their respective work. Of course, those times were spent either here in his apartment, a quiet corner at Kralla's, or in his room at Tartarus. A couple of times, he took her to the port's market district so she could buy some equipment for her crew.

There was also something about waking up next to her in his bed that left an aching need in his chest every time he saw her. A couple of times, he thought of what it would be like if she remained here with him, but he quickly reminded himself that even if she could stay, their relationship was still new. He knew she cared very much for him with the way she kissed and held him close to her ever since the first time they had sex. For all he knew however, her feelings for him didn't go as deep as his did for her, at least right now. He was lucky enough to still even have her heart at all after she found out he was the Collective's leader. That day, he had expected her to walk away and, despite knowing it would shatter his heart, he would've understood her decision.

Another new thing – at least for Reyes – was that once in a while, he caught himself wondering if Kira was okay. Reyes knew that the Pathfinder could take care of herself and she had a crew who cared very much about her well-being (if their various threats of filleting him alive, so to speak, if he ever hurt her was anything to go by). But again, the feeling was new to him. Perhaps this was why he was having trouble sleeping. At least it was easy to drown it out after a couple of shots of whiskey.

Getting up from bed, Reyes sauntered over to the small kitchenette and opened the fridge to grab for the Everlast Whiskey bottle. It was not his preferred choice, but it would do for now. Forgoing a glass, Reyes twisted the cap off and drank from the bottle, the liquor burning past his throat and warming his belly. Placing it on the counter for a moment after a few sips, Reyes brought up the message he responded with to Kira's. He saw that it was marked as read, but he figured that she wasn't going to have the chance to reply back for a while.

He read the words he wrote to her...

 _To: Kira Ryder_

 _From: Reyes Vidal_

 _I'm sure I'll come up with a good reason for you to visit here by the time you finish with your mission in Tafeno. Don't worry, I won't stir up_ too _much trouble in the meantime. ;)_

 _Be careful. I know you can't really promise that, but I figured that it wouldn't hurt to say it._

Upon re-reading his message, Reyes suddenly realized that there was one other thing he wanted to ask. It was the only thought that compelled him to write another email to her now despite a part of him screaming that it wasn't necessary. He wrote it anyway...

 _To: Kira Ryder_

 _From: Reyes Vidal_

 _Message me when you're done with what you need to do in the Tafeno system._

Reyes didn't hesitate to press 'send.' Except now he was wondering if the message made him seem a bit clingy. He quickly drank some more whiskey... that helped to drown out that particular thought.

Deciding then to try to get more shut eye, Reyes headed back to his bed, taking the bottle with him and placing it on the nightstand. The few sips he did drink eventually helped with lulling him back to sleep.

* * *

Two very long days past afterward. Reyes was just getting word on the arrival of Ark Paarchero in the Nexus – which was found in Tafeno by the Tempest team – as well as the death of the salarian Pathfinder, Zevin Raeka, when Kira finally sent word.

 _To: Reyes Vidal_

 _From: Kira Ryder_

 _I'm okay. I'll be in Kadara in six days. No need to think of an excuse._

Reyes, though happy and relieved to hear from her, found himself furrowing his eyebrows. Even when she was busy, Kira wasn't usually short and to the point with her messages. He did ponder over whether she was upset about the loss of Raeka.

Speaking of the death of a Pathfinder, it wasn't lost on Reyes that all of the original Pathfinders were now gone, including Kira's father Alec Ryder.

Reyes messaged her back...

 _To: Kira Ryder_

 _From: Reyes Vidal_

 _Thanks for getting back to me. Glad you're okay. Shame... I was planning on coming up with an excuse today to get you here. ;) Guess that leaves me with a little more time on my hands._

 _I heard about Ark Paarchero and their Pathfinder. I don't know all the details, but know that I'll listen if you need to talk about it._

* * *

For the next six days, Reyes kept himself busy between his Collective work, keeping Ditaeon protected, and arranging procurement shipments for his smuggling business. He would also spend time at the market browsing around, but he was really listening in for 'word on the street.' It was his own way to find out anything involving what was left of the Outcast. As of now, most have scattered to either the badlands or off-planet, particularly to Elaaden.

On one such outing, Reyes spotted something in the market that reminded him of Kira; a silver chained necklace with a silver pair of angel wings and a sapphire-colored gem in between with all the materials made with angaran resources according to the shopkeeper. Reyes couldn't recall if Kira even wore jewelry, but he could already picture her wearing it around her neck with the pendant resting below her collarbone. The gem would match her eyes and the wings would surely remind her of how he would sometimes call her 'angel,' a nickname she had yet to protest over.

For once, he didn't bother to haggle with the shopkeeper and purchased the necklace at the given price.

Six days after Kira's last message, the Tempest landed at Kadara Port. Though he wasn't sure if she would head straight to Tartarus, Reyes at least took a moment to prepare his private room with two glasses and a bottle with what was left of the Mount Milgrom he stole from Sloane's reserves at the party he and Kira attended.

It was two hours later when Reyes received a message from Tartarus's owner, Kian, informing him of the Pathfinder's arrival. He briefly thanked him before closing his omni-tool, feeling a thrill at the thought of her return. A month wasn't really that long of a time since she was last here, but it did seem so to him.

Just as he was smoothing his hair out with his hands, the door to his room opened and Kira stepped inside. She walked in just far enough to let the door close behind her.

The first thing Reyes noticed was how exhausted Kira looked... not just the kind where she wasn't getting enough sleep, but the kind as though she was carrying the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders. Her blue eyes were dull even under the dim lights in the room and her lips, lacking the clear gloss she usually wore, were pulled into a frown. Her dark brown hair, usually up in a ponytail, was freed and tucked underneath the hood of the black hoodie she was wearing along with blue jeans and black sneakers. Usually, the Pathfinder wore her armor whenever she entered the slums. It was unlike her to be dressed anyway else outside the port.

Knowing that she was really going to need a drink, Reyes filled the two empty glasses with the liquor he shared only with her. "Hey there," he greeted.

Reyes realized that Kira had been in a daze with the way she shook her head, her eyelids blinking rapidly. She then turned her attention to him and her lips tugged into a smile. It didn't come close to reaching her eyes. "Hey yourself," she replied, her voice almost a whisper.

He filled the two glasses halfway and offered one to her. She walked over to him and took the drink in her hand before downing it all in one go. She sighed as she placed the empty glass on the table. "Thanks," she uttered in appreciation.

Reyes nodded and, after placing his own glass down, reached out with both arms to grasp her hands in his. "Come here," he urged as he pulled her towards him. Kira didn't resist and she soon straddled him, her legs on either side of him on the couch he sat on. Her hands moved to rest on his shoulders while one of his clung around her waist, his palm resting on her lower back for support. His other hand reached up to cup her face, his thumb brushing just below her lower lip.

In the weeks since they met, Reyes had seen many emotions on her face, from content to pure joy, to annoyance and concern. She was fiece and determined in a firefight, but patient behind her sniper rifle. Twice, her blue eyes turned dark with both hurt and anger – with one of those times directed at him when she found out he was the Charlatan. Once, she felt ashamed as tears beyond her control slipped down her cheeks... on that same day, no less.

For the first time, he saw how... defeated she seemed. Aside from the slump of her shoulders, her eyes were downcasted and the corners of her lips were pulled downward. Reyes quickly decided that he hated seeing her like this. What had happened on that mission in Tafeno to bring her into this state?

His eyes never leaving her face, he captured her chin between his thumb and index finger before tilting her head up a little. "Kira?" he murmured in question.

Her eyes moved up to see him before a shaky breath escaped her lips. "Vetra wanted me to go rock climbing with her tomorrow," she mentioned. Kira forced a small smile again. "I haven't done that since before we left the Milky Way."

Reyes knew Kira was stalling, but he decided to go along with it. "Really? Then again, I shouldn't be surprised given your... athletic enthusiam in a certain cave." He gave her a grin at those last words along with a gleam in his eyes.

Kira shook her head, but huffed in amusement nevertheless. Just as quickly though, her small smile faded as she moved her hands from his shoulders to his neck, her fingers soon resting along his jawline. "That's not the only reason I'm here."

Before Reyes could answer, Kira leaned in to press her lips into his. Her kiss was slow and gentle and he followed her lead despite the heat growing in his belly. The hand on her face moved to the back of her head, his fingers pulling back the hood before they brushed over her dark hair.

Oh how he missed her...

The kiss ended too soon as Kira pulled back from him. Reyes just managed to catch a glimpse of her eyes shutting tightly right before she leaned forward again to bury her face at the juncture between his neck and shoulder. His arms moved to enclose around her.

"I..." Kira started quickly, her voice slightly waivering. "It's been a long week. I... I needed to see you..."

Reyes continued to stroke her hair while the hand on her back began to slowly move up and down over the curve of her spine in comfort. "Tell me," he encouraged, knowing that she needed to air out her thoughts.

That was easier said than done. Neither one of them were used to airing out these kinds of emotions for one reason or another. Hell, she practically berated herself for crying that day in Draullir. They both only had casual hook-ups after experiencing heartbreak until now and they usually kept their associates at arms' length... except each other, apparently. So it wasn't a surprise when Kira didn't say anything right away. Then again, they did agree on sharing only the big secrets so maybe whatever was on her mind wasn't -

"I died," she suddenly said.

His ministrations with his hands suddenly froze in place. That was _not_ what he expected to hear. "You... you _died?_ " he ended up asking.

Kira didn't move as she started to explain what happened... from finding the Archon's ship tethered to Ark Paarchero, getting onto the ark, finding Raeka, and then sneaking onto the ship to find the map to Meridian.

"Then during our search, Cora, Drack, and I ended up in this one room when we suddenly walked into a trap," Kira continued. "It was some kind of stasis field that only interacts with living matter. The Archon tried to intimidate me before he took a needle to the back of my neck. SAM mentioned after that he needed to neutralize a biological transmitter in my bloodstream."

Reyes's arm tightened around her at those last two sentences. He felt his anger simmering within at the thought of the Archon touching her. He managed to inhale deeply in order to bury that ugly thought. "So... how did you..."

Kira moved so that she was facing him again, though her eyes remained closed. "Because the stasis field only worked on anyone who was breathing and, well... SAM confirmed that the only way for any of us to escape was for SAM to... stop my heart."

Reyes frowned after she explained that. "I... didn't know your AI could do that."

"Neither did I until SAM mentioned it."

Reyes moved in to press a gentle kiss to her lips before brushing the side of her nose with his. "Thank you," he murmured. "For coming back to me. I'm not too happy about SAM stopping your heart, but... thank you, SAM... for bringing her back."

Kira smirked a little. "I'm sure he'd appreciate it if I hadn't asked him to give us privacy before I got here." Once more, she grimaced. "You know what's strange? That's not really what's bothering me."

Reyes had an idea of what it was as soon as she said that. "Pathfinder Raeka."

Kira let out a shaky breath. "That's part of it." She brushed her hands over his shoulders again and grasped onto them as though they were a lifeline for her. Her eyes were still downcasted, but now tears were present at the edge.

"Did... did any reports you received tell you what we saw on the Archon's ship?" She asked with her voice barely above a whisper. "I mean... Nexus leadership knows the whole story of course, but I'm not sure if anything got leaked or..."

Reyes proceeded to rub gentle circles at the small of her back in comfort. "Basically the gist of it. Your team found Paarchero and got on the Archon's ship, and there were a number of salarian losses including their Pathfinder. There was also the news that a few krogans were rescued from the ship."

Kira inhaled sharply as she shut her eyes tight, her eyebrows furrowing and her teeth biting down on her lower lip. The grip on his shoulders tightened and Reyes was sure she would've left small indents from her fingernails on his skin if not for the padding on his light armor. He reached up to grasp her wrists and pulled her hands off him with little resistance. He then brought them to his lips and placed a tender kiss in between her index fingers. The whole time, his amber eyes never left her face.

"I assume more happened on that ship than the reports I saw showed."

Kira slowly nodded, her body going rigid. "I... I just... I was never naïve to think that I wouldn't see bad things when I first joined the Alliance. I also expected to lose friends and colleagues on the job. I figured it would be the same deal when I became Pathfinder. And just as I expected, they happened. I've lost friends and I've seen some terrible shit. It doesn't get easier as time goes on... but you eventually learn to cope with it somehow, even when it becomes too much and all seems hopeless."

She opened her eyes, filled with unshed tears, and looked straight at him. Then the rest of her face began to slowly crumble into despair. "I... went into this job knowing all this... but... I still wasn't prepared to see what I saw on that ship. They... the kett... they were trying to figure out how to exalt those of us from the Milky Way. They... removed the salarians from cryo... there were so many pods, all of them empty. The smell of death was heavy even before we found them strewn on the floor, discarded like garbage. Every single one of them were experimented on, organs removed while they were still _alive_. And we saw a room through a glass window and... there was a salarian... still alive... torso wide open... he was screaming in pain and begging for it to stop... they were taking something out of him... and we knew then that there was nothing we could do..."

The tears finally fell as Kira tore her gaze away. She shut her eyes tight as she began to explain about them eventually finding the map to Meridian in the Archon's chamber, the EMP that was used to keep the ship from firing on Paarchero for a short time, and the exalted krogan they ran into.

"After we got out of the room," she continued. "That was when SAM informed us that there were more krogan – Drack's missing scouts - imprisoned on the ship who were due for exaltation. Then right after that, Raeka contacted me... she was pinned down and alone against the kett after she sent her team back to the ark. She found some more salarians who were still alive and was trying to get to them. She knew she wasn't going to make it and... she was trying to say goodbye..."

Kira's shoulders suddenly began to shake as sobs began to wrack her body. "There wasn't time to save both, not with EMP's time limit. I was always careful with making decisions under pressure, but this time... this time I panicked. And in my panic, I chose to save the krogan. The weight of the decision didn't even sink in until after we were out of the Tafeno system."

The whole time, Reyes remained silent as he listened to her words, his hands holding her close in reassurance. He had known that Kira was a smart, brave, and determined woman since the day they met at Kralla's Song. Here and now however, Reyes was reminded that the Pathfinder was still very young, barely a few years past her teens. Of course she was mature enough to realize, as she said herself, that her job wasn't forgiving when it came to witnessing the terrible atrocities that could befall a living being. But it was clear in the way she was upset over the events on the Archon's ship that this was something she had never encountered before. It's one thing to have run into dead civilians who were fortunate enough to die quickly... it's another to know that civilians were painfully tortured prior to their deaths. It didn't help when you witnessed one of them screaming for help and you were powerless to save them.

In his years as a pilot for the Alliance prior to being the Collective leader, Reyes recalled a day on a colony he flew with the other soldiers he served with when they received an emergency message calling for nearby units to help rescue civilians. To this day, he was still haunted by nightmares from the screams and cries for help of those captured by Batarians as they were hauled in cages to be shipped off to wherever they were needed. The batarians had stopped his unit from being able to save them that day. It was common knowledge that very, very few people who became slaves under the batarians were found and freed, and knowing that made the whole thing worse. They were so close to saving those civilians, but it wasn't enough. There was nothing they could do.

Reyes was younger than Kira was now when it happened. For him, that was the day when he realized that this kind of job... and the ones that came after... would never spare one from such horrible things. And from there it would go two ways... you either learn to move on or let it grip you like a vice around your neck. Either way, it would haunt and follow you like a dark shadow and it would grasp you at any given moment.

In those dark days following the failed mission, all Reyes could do was deal by focusing on his work or, during downtime, stare at the bottom of a drink. By then, he had no one he was comfortable talking to about these things because the only two people he was willing to share these thoughts with were no longer in his life. His _Mamá_ had died suddenly after he joined the Alliance, and the man he had fallen in love with during pilot training left him with a broken heart not too long ago.

Thinking about it now, those three events affected who he became – someone who was focused on business and careful about who he let in, even with his casual hook-ups and one-night stands. And even with those who he let in, he always remained tight-lipped about a lot of things about himself, especially his weaknesses and the things that affected him.

But very slowly, Kira Ryder was chipping away at the wall Reyes built around himself without even trying because right now, he felt the words pertaining to his experience on that colony at the tip of his tongue. He knew it was because he wanted to tell her things like, 'I know how you feel.' Perhaps they would help, but he swallowed the words down nevertheless. Right now, this wasn't about him, but about what she was now dealing with in her mind. One day, he would tell her his story.

Reyes hated seeing the despair on Kira face as well as the tears that streaked down her cheeks. In short, it broke his heart to see her sad. But despite that, he knew since Draullir that she was ashamed of being vulnerable... and yet, she had come to him tonight and willingly not just because she needed to be close to him, but also because Reyes was the only one she felt comfortable airing out these kinds of feelings to (besides her brother who was still in a coma, he guessed). And most likely, she came willingly to him knowing that her vulnerablility would be out in the open for him to see.

As much as it hurt him to see her like this, Reyes was glad that she did have someone she was comfortable with to air this out to, something he never had at her age.

Kira's voice cut through his thoughts as she began to talk louder and faster with each word. "Drack told me to focus on what went right, but I just can't. All I can think about are those salarians who suffered and... every night when I try to go to sleep, I keep hearing Raeka's last words to me. And everyone thinks I'm bothered by how I died again, but all I keep hearing in my head is Raeka saying goodbye." At the last word, a sob broke though and more followed as her last bit of control over her emotions slipped away.

Reyes moved his hands behind her head and back and pulled her closer to him until her face was once more buried at the juncture between his neck and shoulder. Her arms came up to cling around him as he began to stoke her hair in comfort with his fingers.

"Don't blame yourself for this," Reyes murmured in her ear. "You were left with a tough choice you didn't ask for."

"But I left Raeka to die," Kira uttered in between sobs. "She and her team saved our lives when the kett ambushed us and _this_ is how I paid her back. I left her to die..."

For a while – neither of them were sure how long exactly - Reyes simply held Kira close to him while gently stroking her hair in comfort as her soft, mournful cries echoed off the small private room of Tartarus. He knew that she likely needed this kind of release since they left Tafeno. He also knew that she needed to be strong and sure of herself as the Pathfinder... there was no room to let anyone see her beyond what was shown. So it was no surprise that only now she was able to let go.

Eventually, the sobs fell quiet and the only thing left was the slightly shaking of her body as she tried to breathe normally again in between small hiccups. Gently, Reyes pushed her back a bit so that he could reach up to cup her face with both of his hands, his thumbs wiping away the wet streaks her tears left behind.

Even with those gorgeous eyes reddened and wet, she still managed to smile, even if it was very subtle. "Thank you..." she murmured. "I needed that... I... I'm sorry you had to see that, again..."

Reyes leaned forward so that his forehead brushed against hers. "Don't be ashamed, not with me. And remember what I said before, angel - you never need to be 'Pathfinder' around me." He then pulled back a little to give her a look of concern. "Will you be all right?"

Kira let out a shaky breath. "I... I don't know if anyone could be all right after all that. But at least now I'm feeling a little better."

Reyes left a chaste kiss on her lips. "It's not something that can be easily put behind you. It'll never completely go away. The best you can do is not let it always haunt you if you can help it."

Those words made Kira tilt her head a bit in curiosity. "You've had a similar experience?"

"...Something like that," was all he offered, for now anyway. "But I can say that even if you saw more atrocities like that, it never gets easier..."

"But you deal with it in your own way somehow," Kira finished for him.

Reyes nodded. "Exactly."

Kira let out another shaky breath. "Hopefully this will be the worst of it for me... but I doubt that."

Reyes knew from there that there was nothing more to be said, so he instead leaned in to press his lips against hers again, the kiss slow and gentle like the one she gave him earlier. He felt Kira's hand dig through his black hair at the back of his head as though trying to keep him in place. That thought made him chuckle a little against her lips and when she began to laugh a little too, well... he was just happy that he able to make her laugh even if it was just for a moment.

Eventually, he pulled away, only leaving barely an inch between them as they took a moment to catch their breaths. "How long do you plan to stay?" Reyes soon asked.

"Vetra and I plan our rock climbing adventure in the morning," Kira reminded him. "And I'm also giving everyone some shore leave, so... I'd say about three days."

Reyes nodded. Three days, of course, wasn't enough. Well... any amount of time would never be enough... but he definitely wanted to make the most of it while she was here.

He reached up to brush his fingers along her jawline, his amber eyes gazing up at her blue ones. "Stay with me tonight?" he offered while not feeling sure over why he felt like she might say no.

However, the smile on her face caused his heart to thump against his chest and even before, she answered, he knew that she was accepting his offer.

"Yes."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

For the rest of the afternoon, Kira and Reyes remained in each other's arms within the private room at Tartarus. Few words were said between them, but they were both okay with that for the time being. Eventually, Kira moved off of him when she decided to temporarily go back to the Tempest to clean up.

"You could always use my shower instead," Reyes offered with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Oh, I know," Kira replied with a laugh. "But I need the hot water right now and, last I checked, that's not an option on Kadara yet."

"Fair enough," Reyes conceded. "And I'll have you know that I recently ordered water heaters for the pumps. I'm not sure how the engineers will make it work, but it's being worked on regardless."

Kira smiled. "Good to know. And once you're done with that, get the doors at the port to open faster!"

Reyes smirked as he leaned back on the couch he sat on. "Priorities, my dear."

"Uh huh," Kira grumbled. She then stepped towards him before leaning down a bit so that her face was close to his. "I'll meet you at your apartment in a few hours." She moved in further to press her lips to his cheek before moving in a little closer to his ear. "And then you'll have me all night... all to yourself," she whispered low and alluring, the words sending a small thrill through his belly.

"Don't keep me waiting for too long," Reyes murmured with a smirk.

Kira pulled back, a playful smile on her lips, before she turned around and headed towards the door. Reyes watched her go and he nearly grinned as he noticed how she put a little more emphasis to each swing of her hips every time she took a step. Before she opened the door, Kira turned to see him one more time. She gave him a quick wink just as the door opened. Soon, she stepped out and the door closed behind her, separating them once more.

Naturally, the next few hours went by in what seemed like a snail's pace. Although Reyes was able to focus on his work, Kira was never too far from his mind. In between shifting through datapads, he was already planning the evening; a quiet night in his apartment with a home-cooked meal and maybe a dance or two. He would also present her with the gift he purchased at the market a few days ago. Once that was all done, of course, the remainder of the night would be spent in his bed... and there was a very good chance that they would have a go at it again and again all through the night.

When it came close to dinner time, Reyes sent out one last message to his agents letting them know that he would be unavailable for the next sixteen hours. That should give him some morning hours with Kira before she left for the day to go rock climbing. Now he just had to hope that no emergency came up.

Reyes gathered his datapads and code-locked his terminal before departing Tartarus for the evening. Usually, he would leave through the secret tunnel hidden behind the wall within the room since it was the shortest way to his apartment. Tonight however, he decided to leave through the club as he wanted to stop by the bar downstairs for a moment.

The owner of Tartarus, Kian Dagher, was dealing with a pair of rowdy drunks with one of them yelling and slurring about, well... who knew since Reyes couldn't understand him with the loud techno music playing throughout the club. Kian, while cleaning a glass with a cloth, glared with annoyance at the men, both oblivious to Reyes standing right there and waiting for them to move over.

It didn't take long for Kian to notice Reyes. He briefly mouthed a 'sorry' before pointing to Reyes right with his thumb towards another part of the bar. They both moved to the spot and away from the drunks.

"I swear, those two have been here since last night," Kian grumbled, his voice just loud enough for Reyes to hear over the music.

"You mean you haven't kicked them out yet?" Reyes ended up asking. "I admit, Kian, I'm surprised."

The bartender let out an exasperated breath. "The worse they've done so far is being loud and obnoxious. That _should_ warrant a kick-out on principle, but my mood's not that bad... yet."

Reyes huffed in amusement. "Well then, I chose a good time to come down here. You tend to be quite grumpy when you're in a sour mood."

Kian rolled his brown eyes, but a smirk played on his lips. "Try working behind the bar someday, Vidal. Then we'll talk."

"Maybe once no one's out for my neck through my own business, I'll consider it," Reyes pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"Touché," Kian conceded. "What brings you down here anyway? I assumed you'd be leaving through the usual way."

"What makes you think I'm leaving?" Reyes deadpanned.

Kian smirked. "You usually do around this time whenever the Pathfinder is on Kadara."

Reyes groaned a little. "Am I _that_ obvious?"

Kian chuckled. "Sometimes."

Reyes grumbled to himself, but shrugged it off. Kian was one of the few people in Andromeda he trusted implicitly, so it was easy to let his own annoyance slide over Kian knowing a bit more of his personal life. Of course, the two had known each other since meeting at the bar Kian worked at and Reyes frequented during his Alliance days (and after), so it wasn't that difficult to imagine. Also, Kian wasn't officially associated with the Collective, but along with Kira, her crew, and Keema, he was the only other person outside the Collective who knew him as the Charlatan. That's how much he trusted the bartender.

Reyes shook his head a little before changing the subject. "What's your best bottle available right now?" he asked.

"Aside from ryncol?" Kian replied. "I just received a shipment of angaran whiskey from Voeld. However, I don't have much of the drink in stock."

"Would a bottle of Relay Brandy change your mind?" Reyes offered.

Kian shook his head. "Not this time, friend. I have plenty of that on hand to last the rest of the year. You still have some of that Islay Scotch? I can trade for one of those."

"Deal," Reyes agreed. "I still have a few of those stored away. I'll need the whiskey tonight, but I'll make sure you get your scotch by noon tomorrow. You know I'm good for it."

"I know," Kian began as he grabbed for the requested bottle. "I also realize that you're planning to spend the evening with the Pathfinder, which is why I'm willing to part with it at this second," He passed the bottled to Reyes. "Just make sure that scotch gets delivered here by noon as promised."

"Appreciate it," Reyes said as he grabbed the whiskey bottle. "Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone."

Kian scoffed. "Speak for yourself, Vidal."

Reyes simply laughed before he took his leave with a quick wave to his friend. He heading to the front exist of Tartarus before turning towards the direction of the inner slums. His apartment wasn't too far from the club and, considering how it was along a rock interface, it was difficult to locate unless you where to go and where to look. Even if one did find it, it was heavily code-locked and would require some intricate hacking to access it.

Kira, Kian, and Keema knew the location of course, but only Kira knew the code.

After reaching his apartment and unlocking it, Reyes went inside and immediately began to prepare for the evening. He chilled the whiskey in a bucket of ice before taking a quick shower and getting dressed in some decent clothes. He then went into the kitchenette and rummaged through his fridge to see what he had on hand. As he searched, he began to think about _chorillana_ and how he hadn't made that since before he left the Milky Way. He saw that he had the onions, potatoes, and eggs for the meal, but cursed himself for not currently having any beef on hand. He sighed, knowing that there wasn't time to find any, and took out some fiend steaks since that was the closest to beef anyone can find in this galaxy so far.

For the next hour, Reyes prepped and cooked the meal. The aroma of spices, garlic, and cooked onions wafted in the air, making Reyes's mouth water with anticipation for the food (that, or he was more hungry than he thought). He also set up the square table and two chairs that were placed next to the small living room and opposite from the kitchenette. He didn't have a tablecloth to make the setting look nice, but he figured that setting up everything else neatly would make up for it. The ice bucket with the chilled angaran whiskey, the only thing on the table at the moment, was placed in the middle.

Reyes thought to add candles, but he didn't get the chance to make that decision as he soon heard the buzzer go off, letting him know that someone was at the door. _She's here!_ he thought as he felt a small thrill shoot through him. Reyes took a moment to smooth out his black hair. He buttoned up his dark green shirt and brushed an imaginary lint off his black slacks before he approached the door.

Out of habit, Reyes checked the small screen situated next to the door, seeing outside his apartment through a hidden camera. A small smile came over him as he spotted Kira waiting on the other side. She wore the black and blue leather jacket that she was fond of. She left the zipper open, revealing a blue shirt and a scoop-style neckline. Her dark brown hair was free from the ponytail she frequently wore, letting the strands fall past her shoulders and down the middle of her back.

Reyes swiftly unlocked the door before opening it, finally coming face to face with Kira for the second time today. She still seemed tired, but also much better compared to earlier from the way her ocean blue eyes showed a bit more life in them. Freshening up on the Tempest seemed to have done the trick.

Reyes smiled more once their eyes met. In that moment, he couldn't help but say, "You look like you're waiting for someone."

Kira rolled her eyes, but laughed lightly nevertheless. "Something tells me we're going to use that line at every opportunity for the rest of our lives."

Reyes felt a small twist low in his gut at those words, but he quickly shook the feeling off as he stepped to the side to let Kira into his apartment. "Would that be so bad?" he teased as he closed and locked the door behind them.

Kira reached out to wrap both arms around his back before pressing her body against him. They had a few inches of height between them, but Kira still had to slightly tilt her head back to look into his amber colored eyes.

"Just remember," she whispered in mirth, bringing her face closer to his. "You started it." She then captured his lips with hers and Reyes briefly smiled into the kiss as he tried not to chuckle over her last words. He was able to hold back his laughter before he deepened the kiss, his arms wrapping around her before flushing her body against him, feeling her heartbeat against his chest.

Kira lightly moaned as Reyes gently swiped her lower lip with the tip of his tongue. She parted her lips, allowing him entry into the warm, moist cavern of her mouth for him to explore. The passion between them slowly grew and it was as though, for a moment, all of their worries and troubles melted away. It was like nothing else existed but each other.

Eventually though, they both pulled away from the kiss to catch their breaths. Reyes leaned his forehead against Kira's before opening his eyes to look at her. "Feeling better?" he ended up asking.

Kira opened her eyes as she took a deep breath, her shoulders sagging slightly. "Not completely. But I'm better than I was before. That's, well... better than nothing."

Reyes tilted his head back a bit to kiss her forehead. "Agreed," he said.

"I'll try to put it behind me tonight, but I can't make any promises." Kira pulled back a little as a small smile formed on her face. "By the way, whatever you're cooking smells delicious."

Reyes grinned as he took Kira's hands before leading her to the small table next to the living room. "It'll be ready soon, so sit and relax. I also have a surprise for you, I just need to retrieve it from the bedroom."

Kira's smile grew bigger as she sat down at the table. "I love surprises. Well, the good kind of course."

Reyes headed towards his bedroom opposite from the living room. "This is a good surprise, I promise," he replied before disappearing through the door to his room. He came out a few seconds later and rejoined Kira at the table, a black square velvet box the size of his palm in one hand.

"Believe it or not, my dear angel," Reyes started as he sat down to her left and presented the box to her. "This isn't smuggled nor haggled. I paid the offering price at the port's market."

"You mean you actually didn't leave the bill for some poor, unsuspecting soul?" Kira said with a mock gasp and some teasing in her tone. "I'm almost speechless, Mr. Vidal."

Reyes shook his head, but also smirked as he understood that Kira was just poking fun of their first meeting at Kralla's Song. He leaned forward towards her direction. " _Maybe_ if the Outcasts were still running the show... but you know I've more than made up for that little... incident since then." He winked at the last word.

It was Kira's turn to shake her head, but she also smiled nevertheless. "Yes... yes you did. You're so lucky don't have a real retort for that."

Reyes laughed just as Kira opened the velvet box. He tensed with anticipation over her reaction, his humor quickly leaving him. Upon looking at the jewelry inside, a small gasp escaped Kira's lips. Inside the box laid the necklace with the silver pair of angel wings on a thin chain that Reyes purchased for her a few days ago. In between the base of the wings was a sapphire gem that seemed to glitter underneath the apartment's ceiling lights.

Kira traced a finger over one of the wings, feeling the bumps on it made by the carved feathered. "It's beautiful," she finally said after some silence.

Reyes let out a quiet breath he didn't realize he was holding. "You like it?" he ended up inquiring and immediately felt stupid for asking a question that was clearly answered already.

Still, Kira smiled more and answered, "I love it." She began to take the necklace out of the box. "How did this find its way to the markets? It's not exactly an angaran design."

"True," Reyes said, not blaming her for wondering about the necklace's origin. Luckily, he already prepared for this when he was buying the jewelry. "The merchant who sold this to me makes them by hand using angaran minerals and gems." He gave her another smile. "I was lucky I found one with a gem that matched your eyes."

"Charmer," Kira teased. By now, the necklace was out of the box and in her hand. She leaned towards Reyes to press a kiss to his cheek. "But really, thank you. It's a really wonderful gift."

She went to put it on, but Reyes grabbed a hold of her wrist before she had the chance. "Here, let me," he offered as he stood up to move behind her. Taking the necklace in his hand, Reyes brushed Kira's hair to the side and over her shoulder before he started to place the jewelry around her neck.

"Reyes," Kira said. "This reminded me of a question I've meant to ask you for a while."

He tilted his head with curiosity. "And that is..."

"I've noticed you've been calling me 'angel' since the morning after Sloane's party." Now it was her turn to tilt her head. "Why 'angel?' I'm not exactly close to being one last I checked."

 _Because you remind me of the warrior angels from old stories,_ Reyes thought. However, he quickly became unsure over what Kira would think of that comparison. As he hooked the necklace's chain together, he decided to go with the other, truthful reason for the nickname.

"Well, my dear," Reyes began as he moved to face her before kneeling to her eye level. "You surely are one compared to the likes of me," Once more, he gave her a smirk and a wink at those words.

That earned both an eye roll and a laugh from Kira. "Fine, I'll take your word for it."

Reyes gave her a chaste kiss before he stood up and headed for the kitchenette. "Dinner should be ready by now."

"What are we having?"

" _Chorillana,_ " Reyes answered as he took out a large plate and began to transfer the hot food onto it. "It's a Chilean dish I used to have a lot growing up. Normally, you serve it with beef, though any kind of meat will do. But beef is hard to find right now, so we're using fiend steaks since that's the closest to beef I have on hand."

"I've had fiend steaks before thanks to Drack's cooking," Kira said, mentioning the old krogan who was part of her Tempest crew (and whom she fondly called 'Gramps'). "I'm not sure how he makes it, but it was delicious. Then again, anything home-cooked meal tastes heavenly after eating freeze dried foods for weeks."

"You should try rykor meat someday if you haven't by now," Reyes said as he grabbed for a pair of glass tumblers from the cabinet. "Believe it not, it actually tastes like chicken."

He was almost caught by surprise when Kira suddenly groaned in frustration and quickly buried her face in her arms on top of the table. Reyes raised an eyebrow, wondering where that kind of reaction came from. "What?" he asked.

Kira groaned again as she lifted her head from the table. "I almost wish you didn't tell me that about how rykor taste, though I suppose I was going to find out sooner or later."

"Why?" Reyes asked in confusion.

"I actually forgot about it until now withing everything that happened, but... my brother just won a bet we made before we left the Milky Way. Luke was so certain that we would find something that taste like chicken because, as he said, 'so many things in the Milky Way taste like it, so it's bound to happen again in Andromeda.' I thought that was unbelievable. Then again, he was always more optimistic compared to me. Guess that paid off for him again."

Reyes laughed after hearing that. "If I had known that me mentioning how rykor taste like chicken would make you lose a bet, I would've never said a word." By now, he gathered everything for dinner and began to head back to the table. "Then again, this might help me with winning your brother over once he learns about us."

"If he ever wakes up from his coma..." Kira sighed sadly. "I would gladly pay those one hundred credits then..."

Reyes frowned a little as he put down the plate of food on the table. "Don't worry, he will, even if it takes a while," he assured her. For Kira's sake, Reyes hoped that he was right, knowing that she considered her twin brother her best friend and, for the most part, she felt alone in this new galaxy since he fell into a coma (and it didn't help that they lost their father so soon after waking up from cryo).

"I know, I just..." Kira's sentence trailed off as she noticed the plate he just put down. Her eyes went as wide as saucers at the large amount of stripped fiend steaks, two fried eggs, and a pile of french fries and cooked onions underneath it. "That's... a lot," she muttered.

Reyes chuckled. "We're sharing the plate," he informed as he went back to the kitchenette. "Just let me grab some plates and forks. Go ahead and pour us the drink."

Kira took out the chilled whiskey from the ice bucket and twisted the cap off before pouring two fingers in each tumbler. By the time she was done, Reyes came back and set up the plates and forks before sitting down at the empty chair.

"It really does smell delicious," Kira mentioned again as she spooned some fries, one of the eggs, and a few strips of the meat onto her plate. She then gave the slotted spoon to Reyes, grabbed a fork, and gently stabbed a strip of fiend steak with it.

Reyes stopped what he was doing and watched as Kira popped a piece of steak into her mouth. Her eyes showed both anticipation and curiosity during the first few chews as she tested out the flavors on her tongue. Then slowly, her face relaxed and melted into what could only be described as pure bliss.

"You like it, I see," Reyes assumed as he began to dig into his own plate.

"Mmm hmm," Kira hummed just before she swallowed her food. Without pausing, she used her fork to cut into an egg before taking a bite of it. For the next few minutes, she was fully focused on her food and Reyes realized that she likely not had a proper meal for herself in probably days. Still, at least she was eating and, later, cleaning off her plate with some enthusiasm.

Reyes was mostly through with his part of the meal once Kira was done. She looked content as she leaned back in her chair, her tumbler filled with whiskey in hand. "That really was delicious," Kira praised. She tilted her head a bit thoughtfully. "Honestly, I think that was the closest to Earth food I've had since I woke up from cryo."

Reyes's eyebrows shot up with a little with surprise, not expecting to hear that kind of praise. "Even with fiend steaks?"

"Yeah, even with that," Kira admitted. "I think it has a lot to do with the spices you used. It reminded me of, well... home."

"You miss it?" Reyes ended up inquiring.

"Sometimes," Kira answered in earnest. "What about you?"

"Same," Reyes replied. "There are some things I miss, but I didn't really leave much behind, so I don't think about it too often. Inevitably, something here – a sight or a certain smell - will remind me of Earth

Kira nodded in agreement as she took a quick sip of her whiskey before proceeding. "I mean, even after all the crap that's happened since I woke up, I don't have any regrets about leaving. Just the other day, I was having a chat with Suvi, my science officer, about all the things we'll never see or taste again. And it made me realize that a lot of what I miss about the Milky Way are the little things, not just the big stuff."

Reyes nodded, understanding where she was coming from. "And what are those little things you miss exactly?" he asked before sipping his own cup of whiskey.

"Sushi," Kira answered almost right away. "Definitely sushi. It's currently on top of my list of 'little things I miss.' I've been craving it for weeks, but there's no way to satisfy that right now. I'm hoping, somehow, we can make new kinds of sushi with Heleus fish before we can take the genomes from the Milky Way ones out of storage, but I doubt that'll happen anytime soon."

Reyes put in a mental note to look into finding proper ingredients for sushi in the future. He imagined how challenging that would be, but was willing to accept said challenge just for the opportunity to see her happy even for a brief moment. "I didn't know you liked sushi," he said with a small smirk.

"Oh yeah. I mean, I never overindulged – except the last time I had it – but it's one of my favorites. There was a place Luke and I used to go to whenever we were on the Citadel – Ryuusei. Best sushi I've ever had. And apparently I'm not the only one who thought that because there was always a line even if you had reservations. Luke and I spent our second-to-final week in the Milky Way on the Citadel – one last 'hurrah' on the station we grew up on before we said goodbye to the galaxy we knew. Ryuusei was our dinner stop on our last night at the Citadel before we headed to Earth to enjoy our final week there. We ended up ordering the Queen Boat to share. How we ate the whole thing without getting sick, I have no idea."

Reyes chuckled at that. "I think I recall that restaurant now. Wasn't it some swanky, high class place with a full fish aquarium displayed on the whole wall _and_ the floor? I never ate there myself, but it's hard to forget about such aesthetics."

Kira nodded. "The very place, though I wouldn't exactly call it 'high end,' even if if there's a 'casual elegant' dress code." She took another sip of her drink. A light laugh escaped her lips as a thought came to her. "As for the aquarium, the floor used to make Luke wary whenever we walked on it. Every time we'd leave the place, he would say something like, 'someone's going to fall through this floor one day, I just know it.' I figured that it _had_ to be shatter-proof if people were going to walk on it or else why put it there if it poses a hazard?"

"You'd be surprised what can be overlooked," Reyes pointed out.

Kira grinned. "Speaking from experience, Mr. Vidal?"

"Hardly," Reyes scoffed in mock defense. But then a light sigh blew from his lips as a thought did seep into his mind, his mood crestfallen suddenly. "Then again, I didn't expect Sloane to bring you to the duel either..." At those words, he felt a slight tinge of anger cloud his mind, recalling how Sloane bringing Kira to that cave in Draullir seemed to serve as a one final 'fuck you' from her before his sniper ended her life.

Kira's eyebrows furrowed as her lips parted slightly, clearly not meaning to make him bring up that memory. In response, she reached out for his hand and grasped it with her own on top of the table. "Hey," she started. "I'm sorry, I... didn't mean to make you recall that. I wasn't serious when I said what I said. Let's try not to worry about it anymore. It sucked when it happened but... we got past it."

Reyes frowned a bit as he looked down at their clasped hands. "I prefer that she hadn't dragged you into something I tried to keep you out of." He then tilted his head up to focus on her eyes. "I really did plan to tell you who I was..."

"You were trying to find the right time to tell me, I know," Kira reminded him. "I mean, of course I was mad that you lied to me, but I later understood why, luckily before we even left the cave." It was her turn to focus on their joined hands on the table. "To be honest, and I never told you or anyone else this, but I... I was more afraid than anything else that you were going to die in that duel..."

Reyes suddenly stilled at that revelation, feeling his heart skip a beat in his chest. As far as he knew, this was the first time anyone, aside from his mother, who cared enough for him to worry about his safety. It especially meant a lot to him hearing it from the person he cared about the most in two galaxies.

The statement also reminded him of something that also happened that day in Draullir, something Kira never explained to him. "Is that why you..." he began to say, but somehow found that he couldn't finish his words.

Kira knew what he meant. "Cried like a baby that day?" she finished for him. "That's... part of it. There's... more to it." She gently squeezed his hand with hers. "I promise I'll tell you someday, but, well... I've already poured out a lot from my soul today..."

Reyes nodded in understanding, knowing that, like him, Kira struggled with airing out her emotions. He also figured that she felt vulnerable enough for one day after their talk about what happened in the Tafeno System earlier today at Tartarus.

Deciding to continue with his plans for them this evening, Reyes stood up from his chair, pulling Kira up with him before he stepped closer to her. She tilted her head back for him just as he reached a free hand to her face, the tip of her fingers brushing along her soft cheek, which began to lightly flush a shade of red. Kira slightly leaned into the touch as she closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his skin on hers.

"Thank you for dinner," she murmured to him. "I can do the dishes since you cooked-"

Reyes moved his index finger to press over her lips, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Shh. Worry about that later," he suggested. Letting Kira go momentarily, he pressed a few commands on the orange interface of his omni-tool. As soon as he was done and the omni-tool faded, the soft sounds of a piano, accompanied by a bass and drums, began a slow melody of the jazz number he selected, one that always relaxed him every time he played it. Kira smiled even before he offered his hand to her. Reyes didn't even have to ask for a dance as she grasped his hand. He then led her to the little space between the dinner table and the small living room.

Just like their last dance, Reyes held Kira close to him with one hand on her lower back and the other in her hand raised at chest level next to them. As the subtle sound of a trumpet joined the song that played, Kira chose to rest her head on his right shoulder, her face buried into the side of his neck. She sighed in content as they began to slowly sway to the music.

For the whole song, they remained as they were, their slow movements timed with rhythm of the the song's gentle beat. Reyes simply enjoyed the feel of her in his arms. He felt Kira's warm breath against his next like a whisper, a reminder to him that she was here with him, safe and unharmed. Thoughts of how close he came to losing her when SAM stopped her heart a week ago was buried away in the back his mind. It was the very last thing he wanted to think about, especially now.

The song soon ended, but neither one of them stopped their slow dance for a few moments longer. Then, Kira lifted her head from his shoulder to gaze into his eyes. "Reyes?"

"Hmm?"

She didn't continue right away as her teeth gently bit into her lower lip pensively. It was as though she was trying to find the right words to say to him. Reyes simply stared back at her, waiting patiently for her to find the right away to say whatever was on her mind.

Finally, Kira looked back up at him, her eyes locked on his. "I... I want you know that no matter how long it may take... I'll do everything I can to come back to you. I really care you, Reyes, and... whenever I'm close to you, I... I feel safe."

Upon hearing those words, an intense wave of tenderness washed over Reyes. Perhaps it was because he never expected to hear such words from her sweet lips. After all, he told her that he was a thief and a murderer. He had also lied to her about who he was even if it was out of necessity. Despite all this, Kira Ryder – Pathfinder for the Andromeda Initiative and someone many in this new galaxy looked up to - found solace in _his_ arms. Knowing this humbled him in a way and, from that moment, he promised himself that he would never deny her this safe haven no matter what becomes of their relationship.

Reaching up to her, Reyes cupped Kira's face with both hands on either side, his thumbs gently brushing along her cheeks, before he closed the remaining space between them and pressed his lips to hers in a hungry kiss. She returned it with the same fervor, a soft moan vibrating from her throat, as her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her hands resting at the back of his neck. His own hands then moved down passed her neck, down her sides until they were positioned at the back of her thighs before he lifted up from her feet without breaking their kiss. Kira instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as their passion grew, a moan emitting from him as he felt a stir in his lower belly, seemingly sending a heated wave that traveled over his body.

Kira pulled away from the kiss momentarily to get some air, their breaths mingling between them. Reyes's eyes widened as he suddenly realized, selfishly, that he hadn't thought about what she planned to do tomorrow. "Do you still..." he started to ask. "I mean, you're going rock climbing with Vetra tomorrow..."

Kira chuckled, realizing what he was trying to ask. "I don't care, it'll be worth it. If anything, I can afford to delay it by one day."

It was Reyes's turn to laugh. He figured that would be her answer, but it still didn't hurt to ask. "As you wish, my angel."

From there, Reyes carried Kira into his bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind them.


End file.
